Horror fanatics and film fans from all over will surely recognize the fabled ‘Blair Witch’, a fictitious legend that was the center of the iconic ‘found-footage’ horror film “The Blair Witch Project” released in 1999.
Now considered a cult classic, the low-budget film was one of the first ever to use the internet and guerilla marketing tactics to promote the movie, which left many confused about whether the story of the ‘Blair Witch’ was completely fake or based on a real legend!
Fortunately for those from the DMV area, particularly those in central Maryland, the legend of the ‘Blair Witch’ was created by directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez leading up to the development of the film to stir up interest in the ‘Blair Witch’ legend!
Where is the home of the ‘Blair Witch’?
Per the ‘legend’ of the Blair Witch, at least according to the movie, the Blair Witch called the woods surrounding the town of Burkittsville, Maryland her home, roughly a 90-minute drive from DC.
The small town, which had just a few hundred residents when the film was first shot, quickly became a common travel destination for fans.
Directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez knew that the film would be set in the wooded areas of Maryland as Sánchez grew up in Montgomery County, MD, knowing that the ominous woods of the region were the perfect backdrop to the story they wanted to tell.
Eventually, while scouting locations for the ‘home’ of the witch, they came across the small town of Burkittsville, perfectly placed along the woods with a small mountain overlooking the small secluded town.
While the small town was initially bitter about the disruption caused by the influx of tourism, according to the Washington Post, today the town has collectively turned a corner and have even hosted a screening of the film during which they invited the directors, acknowledging the film’s role in putting the quiet town on the map and ultimately driving its growth.
Where was “The Blair Witch Project” filmed?
While the story is set in “Black Hills Forrest” right behind Burkittsville and unique landmarks like “Coffin Rock” are highlighted in the film, it’s worth noting that these locations are fictional and do not exist.
Instead, most of the filming for the movie took place on the Greenway Trail along Seneca Creek in Montgomery County, a rather nice 8-mile hiking trail just 45 minutes from the District.
The best part about visiting the filming destinations from “The Blair Witch Project” is that it can easily be done in one day, a quick one-day trip up to Burkittsville and on the way back stop by the Greenway Trail for a quick hike along some of the wooded areas you can see in the movie.